Near Golden in Jefferson County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Water Carves Canyons

Photographed By Charles T. Harrell, July 3, 2011

1. Water Carves Canyons Marker

Inscription. Flowing water is the reason you see a canyon in front of you. As the Rocky Mountains lifted, water was forced to flow to either the east or the west, creating creeks and rivers. Clear Creek has been eroding this canyon for hundreds of thousands of years, cutting the floor ever lower. The walls of the canyon grow wider as steep hillsides tumble into the creek, where they are washed away by water.

Caption
A canyon starts as a shallow stream that cuts through the bedrock for thousands of years. Over time, the cut gets deeper and the hillside next to it widens. Water cuts canyons like this all over Colorado and around the world. One of the most famous water-carved canyons is the Grand Canyon in Arizona

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Environment.

Location. 39° 44.196′ N, 105° 14.726′ W. Marker is near Golden, Colorado, in Jefferson County. Marker can be reached from Lariat Loop Road. Marker is at overlook. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Golden CO 80401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Recreation: Past to Present (here, next to this marker); Play in the Wind (here, next to this marker); Windy Saddle Park / Connecting to the Past (here, next to this marker); Our Changing Landscape-From Sea Floor to Mountain Top

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(approx. 0.4 miles away); What You Can See From Here Today (approx. 0.4 miles away); Who Was Buffalo Bill? (approx. 0.4 miles away); Lariat Loop Byway: Buffalo Bill Museum (approx. 0.4 miles away); Lariat Loop Byway: Denver Mountain Parks (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Golden.

Water Carved Canyon near Golden, Colorado image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Charles T. Harrell, July 3, 2011

2. Water Carved Canyon near Golden, Colorado

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on August 16, 2011, by Charles T. Harrell of Woodford, Virginia. This page has been viewed 681 times since then and 5 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 16, 2011, by Charles T. Harrell of Woodford, Virginia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.